


Unique

by Tori2004 (orphan_account)



Category: One Direction
Genre: Alternate Universe, Creative Zayn, Established Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Established Niall Horan/Shawn Mendes, Eventual Smut, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Post Self Harm Liam, Sad Zayn, Unique Zayn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2019-10-31 16:43:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17853347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Tori2004
Summary: “GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” The boy screamed at the men, tears running down his cheeks.The beautiful boy was backed into a corner, his doe eyes looked terrified and he was wearing a torn grey hoodie.Liam felt a surge of protectiveness.~~~In a world run by technology, everyone’s thoughts are read by a formula, a science. The police find this boy on the streets, a boy they can’t read.When creative thinking is dead, this artistic boy is a mystery. A beautiful mystery.





	1. One

Liam’s phone rang, waking him and he picked it up with a groan. “Hello?”

His boss Simon, snapped back at him, “Payne. A young man, about sixteen or seventeen, robbed a pregnant women at knife-point. He had darker skin, black hair, tattoos and was wearing dark colours. His hoodie was torn. The lady was robbed a block from your apartment, outside of a Nandos. The lad was seen running across the street and into the alleyway. I sent Tomlinson and Mendes, they will be there in about five minutes. You don’t need your uniform, but you need your taser and gun.”

The phone beeped, signifying the end of the call. Liam rolled lazily out of bed, running his hand over his hair. He pulled on jeans, his belt and a white t-shirt, hurrying down the stairs. He opened the safe in his coat closet and grabbed his weapons.

Liam pulled on his coat and slid on his shoes, putting the weapons in the belt. He opened the door, hurrying to the next block over.

~~~

Zayn puffed on his cigarette, feeling the poison go straight to his lungs. He was fucking freezing and he was only in his dad’s old ripped hoodie. He pulled his legs to his chest and wrapped his arm around them. The alley was dark and he pulled the hood further over his head, trying to block his face.

He pulled the wallet out of his pocket and sighed in relief when he saw the money. There was enough for to buy a few groceries.

The sound of sirens made Zayn jump. He shoved the wallet back in his pocket and peered around the corner. 

Red and blue lights danced in his vision and two men got out of the car. A third joined them, this one not in uniform. 

Zayn cursed under his breath and ran out of the alleyway. He ran across the street, praying that he wouldn’t be caught.

~~~

Liam reached the other two officers, Shawn Mendes and Louis Tomlinson. They nodded to each other, Liam speaking up first. “Where do you want to check first?”

Neither of the others had a chance to respond, before a small figure sprinted across the street. The cops exchanged a look, before following him. 

The boy ran faster, zigzagging through alleys and main roads. He reached a dead end and stopped in his tracks, spinning around. He backed up against the brick of a building.

When Liam saw his face he gasped. The boy was gorgeous, tan skin, strands of dark hair falling in his face and big hazel eyes.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” The boy screamed at the men, tears running down his cheeks.

The beautiful boy was backed into a corner, his doe eyes looked terrified and he was wearing a torn grey hoodie.

Liam felt a surge of protectiveness, but he pushed it down. Him and Shawn both pulled their guns out.

~~~

Zayn felt more terrified than he ever had been in his life. He put up his hands, feeling them shake. He could barely manage more than a whimper. “Please...I need the money...Please don’t do this...”

One of the men spoke with a North American accent. “What do you need the money for?”

Zayn rubbed at his eye, hating himself for crying. “I haven’t eaten in a week. I need to feed my sisters. Please...”

The shortest man pulled out a device. It was a government tablet and panic hit Zayn like a tsunami. The officer frowned, walking a bit closer and holding it up to the boy’s head. The man’s name tag read, _Tomlinson._

He turned to the other two. “It’s not working, we need to take him in.”

“No!” Zayn shook his head frantically. “Please...I’m begging you...”

The other one in uniform, the one with the North American accent, just sighed. Zayn squinted to read his tag. It read, _Mendes._

North America said quietly, “Do you have any weapons on you?”

Zayn pulled the pocketknife out of the pocket of his jeans and let it fall to the ground. “That’s it. Please, just let me go...”

The two men with uniforms exchanged a look, before roughly grabbing him. He flinched, hating himself even more. He stayed cooperative when his hands were cuffed behind his back and he was shoved in the back of the police car. 

The one on street clothes was looking at him funny. Zayn raised his eyebrows and the man looked away. 

The two officers, Tomlinson and Mendes, said goodbye to the other one and Mendes started to drive away.

Zayn let himself cry, but forced himself to be quiet. He was shaking hard at this point and hated it. He hated himself.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zayn is a lot younger than Liam and his birth year will be different. So yes, this story will be underage

Liam drove to the station the next morning, feeling exhausted. When he got in the door, Louis fucking Tomlinson cornered him. “Payno...you know that boy from last night?”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Yes.”

Louis nodded, eyes shining with mischief. “He’s unreadable.”

Liam frowned and walked to the break room. He poured himself a cup of coffee, taking it black. “What do you mean?”

Louis hopped up on the counter. “We can’t read him. They are physically asking the questions right now. They just started if you want to go in.”

Liam’s eyes widened and he hurried to the interview room.

~~~

Zayn nibbled on his bottom lip until he drew blood. The sound of a door opening made his head snap up. The officer from before was there, this time in uniform. His name tag read _Payne_.

The other cop, Mendes, nodded at him. “Hey Payno.”

They both turned to Zayn. Payne stared for a second before asking. “Name?”

“Zayn Malik.”

Payne nodded. “Age?”

“Sixteen.” He fiddled with his hands.

Mendes spoke in his North American accent. “Date of Birth?”

Zayn traced his own tattoo with his finger. “January twelfth, 2003.”

The next question was also said by Mendes and it made Zayn scoff. “Race?”

The boy looked up, pursing his lips. “Mixed. Half white, half Pakistani. My mum has Irish descent.”

Payne nodded and Mendes scribbled that down. Payne met his eyes. “Why did you rob the woman?”

Zayn leaned back in his chair. If he started to speak, he was afraid he’d start crying. 

Payne ran his hand over his short brown hair. “Okay then...Sexuality?”

Zayn narrowed his eyes. “Cis-male, gay.”

Payne’s lips almost turned up in a smile, but he stopped himself. “Now will you answer my question?”

Zayn stared down at his hands and shook his head. “No.”

~~~

Liam didn’t know what to do. The boy was being incredibly frustrating and they really needed answers. “Please, Zayn. We need to know why you stole her money.”

He shook his head, tugging at his sweater paws. “I-I...”

Liam looked at Shawn who just shrugged. The Canadian spoke up. “We won’t hurt you if you tell us. Nothing will happen.”

Zayn fish mouthed before nodding. “Fine. I-I needed it. I don’t have anything and I haven’t eaten in a week. My last meal I gave to my little sister. I needed groceries.”

Liam felt his heart break. “You know stealing’s against the law?”

The boy’s head snapped up. “You know my head’s not in my ass.”

Zayn’s eyes widened and he clearly realized what he had said. “I-I didn’t mean...”

Tears started to trickle down Zayn’s cheeks and he buried his face in his hands. Liam and Shawn exchanged a look. Liam made his way around the table and knelt next to the teenager.

“I know you didn’t mean it. I also know your defensive right now. But you can’t swear at us.” Liam rested his hand on the boy’s knee.

Zayn let out a sob and it broke Liam’s heart. He was shaking, his black hair falling over his fingertips and his hands were heavily tattooed. 

The chief, Simon Cowell opened the door. “You guys good?”

Zayn looked even smaller, like he was suddenly drowning in the oversized jumper. He didn’t move his hands from his face. Liam looked over a nodded. “We’re okay.”

Simon nodded, lips pursed. “Payne, can you take him to your flat. It’s close to here and we’ll need him for more questioning later. And I have no idea what to do with this freak.”

Zayn intook a sharp breath, looking up as the door closed. “I don’t know w-why I’m unreadable...”

Liam nodded, patting his knee. “It’s okay. I’m going to take you to my flat, get some food into and you can tell me about yourself, yeah?”

The boy nodded. “Y-yeah.”


	3. Three

Liam watched the boy sip his tea, swinging his thin legs. Zayn had refused to take off the hoodie and it was still much too big. Zayn looked up, his indescribable eye colour burning holes into Liam’s soul. “I, uh, can I see my family?”

Liam walked over and sat next to the teenager. “I’m not sure.”

Zayn frowned, his pink, soft looking lips turning down irresistibly; Liam had to force his gaze away. “Do you want food?”

Zayn’s voice was soft and nervous. “Okay.”

The man rose to his feet. “What would you like?”

The raven haired lad pursed his pouty lips and Liam cursed his own existence. He couldn’t kiss Zayn; Zayn was sixteen, therefore underage. Kissing, or more than that, would have strict consequences that Liam didn’t want to face.

Zayn’s long eyelashes fluttered against his high cheekbones. “Anything...”

Liam nodded and made his way to kitchen. He opened the fridge and swore under his breath. He hadn’t bought groceries in over a week and his food supply was running low.

He grabbed a takeout menu for a little Italian place near his flat and dialled the number. After making his order, he walked back into the living room. “I ordered Italian food. They’ll be here in about half an hour.”

Liam sunk next to Zayn, who studied him. The boy looked back down at his feet, running a tattooed hand through his dark hair. “Could I use your shower?”

Liam nodded slowly. “Yeah, of course.”

Zayn nodded but didn’t get up. 

~~~

Zayn was good at reading people and Liam’s attraction to him was obvious. He lowered his eyelashes and spoke slowly, quietly. “Do you want to know something?”

Liam tilted his head, looking like a confused puppy. He was a really attractive bloke and it made Zayn’s next move a lot easier. He swung his leg over Liam’s so he was straddling the man. His hands entwined behind Liam’s neck.

He lowered his voice to a whisper and spoke into Liam’s ear. “I always get my way, Officer Payne.”

Zayn grinded into Liam’s crotch and the man chased the friction with his hips. Zayn swung his leg back over so he was standing. He nibbled on his bottom lip, easily shifting back to his naturally shy demeanour. “Can I borrow some clothes?”

Liam nodded, clearly a bit stunned. He stood and kept stumbled towards the bedroom. When he was gone Zayn sunk to his knees, bowing his head. He heard a sharp intake of breath. “What are you doing?”

Zayn looked up. “Choosing to be submissive is an act of dominance in disguise.”

Liam looked at him funny and the boy explained. “It only works for one person, not many, but when I submit or flirt in a way that indicates you could get your way with me, it’s really me controlling you. _Never_ underestimate me.”

He stood and took the clothes, going into the washroom and closing the door.


	4. Four

Liam was baffled at Zayn’s mood swings. He ran a hand through his hair, panting hard. He heard the shower turn on and his mind drifted to a wet, naked Zayn. The droplets rolling down his caramel coloured, inked skin. 

Liam groaned, tugging on his brown locks. Zayn was six-fucking-teen. Liam could _not_ think about him in the shower or the way he looks naked; he definitely couldn’t think about Zayn underneath him, screaming his name.

Liam was fully hard and he slammed his hand into the couch cushions, Zayn’s words echoing in his head. The teenager was obviously capable of manipulation and he could easily mess with the older lad. 

~~~

Zayn rubbed Liam’s soap all over his lithe body, feeling himself relax for the first time since he got arrested.

He felt the stream of water hit his body, slightly lifting up his cloud of worry. He couldn’t stop thinking about his family; the last meal Waliyha and Safaa had eaten, the stress Doniya would be going through and if his parents were working too hard. 

He fucked up so bad; he shouldn’t have gotten caught. He shouldn’t have robbed that woman. He should’ve been more careful. 

His family would be so worried about him. It was the first time he had ever got arrested, and with the gift that ran in his mother’s side of the family...his parents and all three sisters would be incredibly concerned. 

Zayn blinked the tears out of his eyes. If he was going to get through this, he couldn’t show weakness. He needed to get back to his family. They needed him.

He stepped out of the shower and dried himself off with a soft, beige towel. He pulled on a too big t-shirt and oversized sweats. 

~~~

Liam has just finished putting their food on plates when he heard quiet footsteps down the hall. His breath lodged in his throat at the sight of the teenager in his clothes. “Dinner’s here.”

Zayn nodded, pushing a dark, wet strand of hair out of his eyes. “Okay.”

Zayn sat timidly on the couch and Liam did the same, handing the boy his food. They ate in silence, neither of them knowing what to say. 


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wants to DM me for any reason, (including bugging me about updating faster :p) my Insta is @poison_ivy_larrie and my DMs are always open.

Zayn woke up to sunlight streaming through the curtains. He groaned and opened his eyes. The unfamiliar room made him frown. It was bigger than his own, with pastel blue walls and a queen sized bed.

Zayn sat up, a yawn hitting him in full force, as the memories of the past two days sunk in. He was in officer Liam Payne’s guest bedroom and practically being forbidden from seeing his family.

He sighed, feeling a defeated feeling settle over his shoulders. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, walking out of the room. 

Liam was cooking breakfast, the smell of eggs filling Zayn’s noise. His voice was small. “Hi.”

Liam turned and gave the teen a timid smile. “Hey. I was just going to wake you up. How do you like your eggs?”

Zayn ran his hand through his hair; it was still damp from his shower the night before. “Erm, scrambled...?”

The man frowned. “Are you sure about that?”

The teen shrugged, feeling self conscious, but determined not to let it show. “I haven’t had eggs in forever. Normally I give my breakfast up so my little sisters can have it.”

Pity took over Liam’s features and Zayn looked away, shuffling his bare feet against the hardwood. The cop spoke up. “Scrambled eggs it is. Do you want coffee.”

Zayn crinkled his nose. “No. Could I have hot chocolate instead?”

Liam looked over at him with a smile that could almost be described as fond. “Sure.”

The teen sat on one of the stools at the kitchen counter. He swung his thin legs as Liam turned on the Keurig. He hummed to himself, the noise absolutely beautiful.

Liam handed Zayn his plate of eggs and his hot chocolate. He made up his own and sat next to the teen, sipping his coffee. The cop spoke up. “Um, what do you do for fun?”

Zayn shrugged. “I draw.”

Liam’s eyes sparkled with muted interest. “Are you good?”

The teen shrugged again. “I guess.”

Liam scrubbed his hand over his face. “You know how insufferable this is going to be if you keep acting like this?!”

Zayn just looked at him. The man pinched the bridge of his nose and continued. “You go from quiet, to sad, to seductive, to fucking quiet again.”

~~~

The teen just stared at Liam, before surging forward. Their lips touched and the man groaned. Zayn’s lips were soft, slightly wet and full. 

Liam pulled away, stumbling off the stool. “We can’t-“

Zayn just watched him, lips pursed. He got up and walked back to the guest bedroom, leaving Liam baffles for the second time in less than 24 hours.


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like actual the shortest thing ever but...

After work, Liam, Louis and his husband, Harry, and Shawn and his boyfriend, Niall, all walked into the flat. 

Zayn was sleeping on the couch, shirt rumpled up and showing his flat tummy, head tucked into his arm. Liam would be lying if he said he wasn’t endeared.

Harry frowned at him. “I know that kid.”

Louis looked at him, winding an arm around his waist. “How?”

Harry tilted his head. “He comes into the bakery sometimes.”

Harry owned a cute little bakery on the other side of town. The food was fairly cheap and always fresh. 

Niall tilted his head at Zayn. “The lad will be a heartbreaker when he’s older.”

Liam silently agreed. Shawn pressed a kiss to Niall’s cheek. “Payno, where’s your beer?”

Liam went and got out his twenty-four pack from the fridge. The other men crowded around his kitchen table.

~~~

Zayn woke up to a loud laugh. He frowned and rubbed at his eyes. There were a bunch of loud voices coming from the kitchen. He sat up, feeling sleepy.

He stumbled to the entryway of the kitchen, leaning against the wall. Liam was there with the two officers from the other day. A blonde lad was the man laughing and a familiar man with his curly hair tied up in a bun was leaning into officer Tomlinson’s side. 

The curly haired man, Harry from Styles’ bakery, was the first to see the teen. He dimpled kindly, the first familiar thing Zayn had laid eyes on since getting caught. He shyly smiled back.


	7. AUTHORS NOTE

Hii,

so I’m going up to my grandma’s house for the summer and I don’t have wifi, so it’ll be hard to update. I’ll still write and try to get the chapters out as quick as possible, but they’ll be even less frequent than usual. 

Sorry...bye

PS: If you need to contact my Instagram is @poison_ivy_larrie 

PPS: If my Insta gets deleted my back up is @poisonivylarrie


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